Portable sign support



Nov. 23, 1965 R. R. GUNDERsoN 3,219,300

PORTABLE SIGN SUPPORT Filed Aug. 2l, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 WMM,

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 2l, 1963 Nov. 23, 1965 R. R. GUNDERSON 3,219,300

PORTABLE SIGN SUPPORT Filed Aug. 21, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIE United States Patent C) 3,219,300 PORTABLE SIGN SUPPORT Ralph R. Gunderson, Vari Products, 330 N. Harding, Chicago 24, Ill. Filed Aug. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 303,625 Claims. (Cl. 24S- 166) This invention relates to a portable sign and more particularly to a weight means for use with such a sign in aiding to maintain the sign erect in opposition to wind blast or the like.

This invention provides a means for weighting a foldable portable sign device such as disclosed in my copending application entitled Foldable Support for a Sign Panel, Serial No. 138,833, tiled September 18, 1961. Signs of the type disclosed therein are frequently used to denote the existence of a dangerous condition, e.g., along the roadside in areas of highway construction or along sidewalks in front of business establishments or the like. In either use, the sign may be subjected to a great amount of wind blast, either due to passing vehicles or natural weather conditions and the ability of the sign to remain upright in warning position is essential under all conditions of weather. Since such signs generally employ a suspended fiat panel having indicia thereon indicating the working conditions or advertising literature pertaining to the adjacent area, the inuence of wind on this relatively large indicia bearing panel is frequently sufficient, in relation to the overall Weight of the sign, to blow the sign over. Thus it is desirable to provide a weight means for such portable signs so that they may be maintained erect in response to such winds or vibration caused by passing vehicles.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved weight means for a portable s1gn,

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved weight means for a portable sign which may be removed therefrom and separately stored to facilitate portability of the sign as well as the weight.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved weight means for a portable sign which may be easily installed on the sign and easily removed therefrom without the need for any special tools.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved weight means for a portable sign which is intended for use on the terminal ends of the sign legs to provide a lowest possible center of gravity and therefore more effectively employ the weight means of this invention.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved weight means for a portable sign which comprises a sleeve of heavy material having a longitudinal opening therein for mounting about the leg of a portable sign with a lateral chamber communicating with the sleeve to facilitate passage of a stop means on the leg therein and a second chamber offset from said first chamber both laterally as well as vertically relative thereto for retaining said stop means therein to prevent dislodgement of the sleeve from the leg.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end elevational View of a foldable portable sign placed in an upright operative position and 3,219,330 Patented Nov. 23, 1965 showing the weight means of this invention secured thereon;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section view of the weight means of this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a section view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the stop means used on the leg of the sign for cooperation with the weight means of this invention;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section view of the stop means taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken substantially centrally through the sign and showing the sign in phantom outline in collapsed position as well as showing partially broken away the weight means of this invention;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the Weight means of this invention installed on the leg of the sign;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the top of the sign shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 9 is a section View taken along the line 9 9 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 10-10 of FIGURE 6 showing the weight means installed on the leg of the sign shown therein;

FIGURE 11 is a section View taken along the line 11-11 of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is a section view similar to FIGURE 1() showing the weight means turned to permit removal thereof from the leg of the sign; and

FIGURE 13 is a section view taken along the line 13-13 of FIGURE 12.

The sign 10 shown in FIGURE l is similar to that disclosed in my aforementioned copending application and consists of a front support member or leg unit 11 and rear support member or leg unit 12 which include front leg members 13 and rear leg members 14, respectively. Further included in the front and rear units are the bridge members or hinges 15 and 16, respectively, from which the warning or advertising sign 17 is suspended. The sign 17 is provided with slots 18 through which straps 19 pass and are wrapped about the hinge members 15 and 16 to secure the sign thereto.

FIGURES 8 and 9 illustrate in detail the securement of the straps and signs to the hinge members as well as the securement of the hinge members together. It is to be noted that the sign shown in this invention utilizes the same means for the -aforementioned securement as disclosed in my said copending application. Thus guide pins 21 which pass through apertures 20 in the signs and apertures 22 in the hinge members are provided to prevent shifting movement of the hinge members during swinging movement thereof. The straps 19 are locked as at 23 in a well known manner to tie the two hinge members together as a unit.

The front and rear leg units are tied together by pairs of bracing hinges or links such as 24 and 25 which are preferably fiat bars of metal pivotally connected to each other by the rivet connection 26. The bars are also each pivotally connected to the legs as at 27 and 28 by suitable `journalling means such as tube clamp or clamp means 30 to permit the sign to be folded in a relatively fiat condition, as shown in phantom outline in FIGURE 6, to facilitate storage or portability thereof. Tube clamp 30 is a device well known in the art and is adapted .to be secured to a tubular structure by threading the screw a which causes the constricting band 30h thereof to draw up and frictionally clamp the periphery of the rod or tubular means such as the leg member 14 and secure the tube clamp thereto. For securing the bracing links to the legs, an opening, such as 24a, is provided near the end of the link and is positioned over the stud 30C of the tube clamp and between two washers, such as 31 and 32, to facilitate pivoting of the plate 24 relative to the tube clamp 30 while journalling the same to the leg member 14.

lmpaled on the free ends of each of the leg members is the support, stabilizer or weight means 34 of this invention. As illustrated herein the weight means 34 has a generally circular cylindrical body portion 35 Which is frusto-conically tapered at one end 35a. The weight means 34 is preferably composed -of some extremely heavy material such as cast iron or the like. The weight means is adapted to be retained upon the leg member by cooperating engagement with a transversely extending stop means 36 secured to the leg member which stop means may be the tube clamp 30.

The weight means is provided with a generally longitudinally extending bore 36 which is adapted to receive the free end portions of one of the leg members. The upper part of the body portion has an enlarged generally oblate bore defining a laterally spaced chamber 37 for receiving the transverse stop means of the leg member. The chamber 37 terminates at a ledge 38 which affords a bottom thereto for positioning the stop means of the leg for engagement with the body portion of the weight means, The body portion adjacent the ledge is provided with a laterally opening recess 39 of a size to receive the stop means when the body is rotated relative to the leg member.

A latch means 40 including an upwardly extending chamber 41 partially enclosed by a depending lip 42 is in communication with the lateral recess 39 and permits the weight means to be locked relative to the leg member as the weight drops in response to gravity after the rotation of the body relative to the leg member. The chamber 41, being enclosed at the top by the roof 41a, and partially enclosed at the free side by the depending lip 42, provides a latching means which cooperates with the stop means on the leg member to fasten the weight thereto.

Thus it can be seen that the weight 34 may be easily removed from or impaled on the leg members of a sign shown herein. The weight is first positioned so that it may be impaled on the leg member with the stop means positioned in the lateral chamber 37. After the leg member is inserted in the bore of the weight means, the stop means Astrikes the ledge 38, preventing further longitudinal movement of the weight relative to the leg. The Weight means is then rotated relative to the leg to permit the stop means to enter the lateral recess. At that point the stop means may be released so .that gravity permits the Weight to move longitudinally or drop relative to the leg so that the stop means moves into the chamber 41 and is held against further longitudinal movement by the roof 41a thereof. So positioned, the stop means is prevented from turning relative to the leg by its engagement with the depending lip 42 thereof so that the weight is effectively latched relative to the leg member of a sign.

Further adding to the stability of the sign are soli d rod inserts 43 which are positioned inside the tubular leg members and held therein by a quantity of epoxy resin after which the rubber tips 44 are inserted in the hollow tubular leg members. Tubular steel of which the leg members are comprised may be more easily formed and bent than solid bar stock. Thus the leg units may be easily formed. Then the solid bar stock rod inserts may be inserted therein to add weight to the leg units and give the advantage of solid piece construction in use while affording the previously mentioned advantage of tubular ductility in forming the structure.

The basic concept of the support or weight means of this invention may also be used to support a single leg sign support. In such a case the weight means would have an enlarged base and the chamber and latch means would be adapted to cooperate with the stop means by latching the same as the leg member moves downward relative to the Weight means. Thus the latch means Would comprise a similar chamber which would be located below the ledge which terminates the lateral chamber, and the stop means would be latched therein after the leg has been rotated relative to the weight means and permitted to drop relative thereto.

The weight means of this invention concentrates a great amount of weight at the free end of the leg members of a sign greatly enhancing the stability thereof. Furthermore, this leg means is easily detachable from the side so as to enhance the portability of the sign. No special tools are required for securing the leg means to the sign or removing therefrom. The appropriate chambers and recesses are so designed so as to cooperate in latching engagement with the stop means on the leg member, which stop means may be a Well known tube clamp. A weight means of cast iron or similar heavy material having a size relative to a sign as shown in the drawings is more than sufhcient to aid in maintaining the sign in an erect condition in response to extremely heavy wind blast due to the passage of large vehicles, such as truck-s or the like, or in response to naturally occurring winds. Thus signs equipped with such Weights may be maintained erect and perform their instructional function of notifying the driver of an oncoming vehicle of road conditions ahead so that a driver may accordingly adjust the driving conditions to avert possible danger and injury to workmen and passengers alike.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

l claim:

1. A support for a sign panel, comprising: a plurality of front and rear leg members swingably secured together for supporting a sign panel in upright position, each leg member having stop means thereon; and a weighted body portion having a longitudinally extending bore therethrough and impaled by the free end of each leg member, one end of said longitudinally extending bore being enlarged to receive said stop means and terminating in a transversely extending ledge affording a bottom for positioning the stop means for engagement with the body portion, said Weighted body further provided with a laterally opening recess in communication with said enlarged bore of a size to receive the stop means, said recess terminating in a substantially enclosed chamber for engaging the stop means to sustain the body portion on the leg member.

2. The support of claim 1 wherein said chamber includes a roof and a lip depending therefrom which cooperatively restricts said lateral recess and provides a latching means behind which said stop means is latched when the body portion is rotated to position said stop means in said recess and moved longitudinally relatively to the stop means.

3. The support of claim 1 wherein said leg members are hollow tubular members and are provided with solid rod inserts therein and further provided with means for retaining the inserts in the leg members.

4. A stabilizer for an upright leg member having a laterally projecting stop means thereon comprising: a weighted body having a longitudinally extending bore therethrough of a size to receive the free end of a leg member, one end of said longitudinally extending bore being enlarged to receive a stop means on the leg and terminating in a transversely extendingledge affording a bottom for positioning a stop means for engagement 5 with the body portion, the weighted body having a laterally opening recess lin communication with said enlarged bore and of a size to receive a stop means, sa-id recess terminating in a substantially enclosed chamber for engaging a stop means to sustain the body on a leg member solely under the influence of gravity.

S. The stabilizer of claim 4 wherein said chamber includes a roof and a lip depending therefrom which cooperatively restrict said lateral recess and provide a latching means behind which a stop means is latched when the body portion is rotated to position a stop means in said recess and moved longitudinally relative to a stop means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Reynolds 24S-13 Meissner 248-13 Bigelow 40-138 Burgess 248-44 Saul 40-125 Arenson 16-43 Perry 40-125 Keats 248-158 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner, 

1. A SUPPORT FOR A SIGN PANEL, COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF FRONT A REAR LEG MEMBERS SWINGABLY SECURED TOGETHER FOR SUPPORTING A SIGN PANEL IN UPRIGHT POSITION, EACH LEG MEMBER HAVING STOP MEANS THEREON; AND A WEIGHTED BODY PORTION HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING BORE THERETHROUGH AND IMPALED BY THE FREE END OF EACH LEG MEMBER, ONE END OF SAID LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING BORE BEIGN ENLARGED TO RECEIVE SAID STOP MEANS AND TERMINATING IN A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING LEDGE AFFORDING A BOTTOM FOR POSI- 